Rotary engine.



No. 7|2,|05. 'Paton ted Oct. 23,1902;

w. z. STUART. BOTARYEMGINE. (Application filed Sept. 3. 1902.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(a Model.)

Wiigesses N0. 7|2,,l05. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

' W. Z. STUART.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Sept. 8. 1962.

(No Model.) 4 Sheds-Shoot 2.

No. 7:2,105. Patented Oct. 28, I902;

w. .z. STUART. ROTARY ENGINE.

A u cim filed se t. :L 1902. {No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shea! 3,

UNITED ST TES PATENT OF ICE.

WILLIAM ZENO STUART, OF WOOLSON, IOWA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 712,105, dated October 28,1902. Application filed September 9,1902. Serial No.121,994. on; model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM ZENO STUART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woolson, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rotary engines, and has for its principal object to provide an engine combining to some extent the principles of a rotary and a reciprocating engine, a portion of the actuating fluid beingintroduced between a fixed and a movable surface disposed on lines parallel with each other and the movable surface being forced partly in a direction at right angles to the plane of the fixed surface and partly in a substantially circular path to fol-' low the course of the purely rotary member of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to construct a device of this character in which an angular piston in the form of an equilateral triangle may be forced to travel in a similarshaped cylinder by the introduction of steam or other fluid into the three chambers formed between the sides of the piston and the adjacent walls of the cylinder.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of-the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 11s tive view of the reversing-valve detached. Fig. 8 is a view of a modified form of piston. Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout .13, respectively. From the cylinder to the central portion of the chest ext-end two passages 14 and 15,which preferablylead through the walls of the cylinder, said passages terminating within the steam-chest in alinement with the ports of.a valve 17 of cylindrical form, said valve having two ports 18, either of which may be placed in communication with the steam-supply pipe 12 to admit steam to either of the passages 14' or 15 and being further provided with two ports 19, which may be similarly moved into alinement with the ports leading to the cylinder for the purposeof connecting the latter to the exhaustpipe 13. This constitutes a reversingmechanism and permits the introduction of the steam through either of the cylinder-passages and its exhaust through the opposite passage. The valve is provided with a stem 21, extending to a point outside the steamchest and secured to an operating-lever 22, having a latch-lever 23 of the usual construction and adapted to lock the lever toa notched bar 24 in either of the two positions of the valve, or the lever may be moved to a vertical position to cut off the flow of steam to the cylinder .and stop the engine. Extending through the cylinder is a shaft 25, provided at one end with a balance-wheel 26 and at the opposite end with a belt or other wheel 27 for the transmission of power. In thecylinder is arranged a piston 30 31, the member 30 being substantially in the form of an equilateral triangle of less area than the cylinder and provided with a centrally-dis posed circular opening for the reception of the piston member 31. Atthe juncture of each two sides of the triangular piston is a transversely-disposed knuckle 32, adapted one of which is disposed at each corner of the cylinder, and said blocks are moved into and loo 7 plates 35 are adapted to guiding-openings 36,

out of their respective recesses as the piston travels, the link-blocks 33 permitting a movement of the piston until its angular walls are successively moved against the adjacent walls of the cylinder. The cylinder and piston walls form three steam-spaces, which are separated from each other by the links 33 and sliding blocks 35, the piston, limits, and sliding blocks being of equal width and fitting snugly between the vertical walls of the cylinder. On the shaft is mounted the circular member 31 of the piston, the center of this member being eccentric to the shaft and adapted to revolve in a circular opening formed in the triangular member 30 of said piston. The member 31 is in the form of a disk and is provided with diametrically opposed abutments 40 and 41, which travel in the circular opening in the triangular portion of the triangular piston. These abutments divide the steam-space into two semicircular chambers 42 and 43, of which either may form the steam and the other the exhaust chamber, and'from these chambers extend a plurality of ports 44, one of which leads to each of the steam-spaces formed by the cylinder and the adjacent angular face of the piston member 30. The piston member 31 extends laterally to the side walls of the cylinder, and in the opposite sides thereof are annular grooves 47 in alinement with the two cylinder-ports 14 and 15, the groove at one side of the piston being in constant communication with the steam-passage 14 and the groove at the opposite side of said piston in communication with the steam-passage 15. Extending upwardly from these annular grooves are steam-passages 48, terminating in oppositely-faced ports 49 and 50 at the opposite side of the abutment 40, the arrangement being such that steam from one of the cylinder-ports will enter one of the semicircular steam-spaces 42 43 and be discharged through the opposite port and passages to the exhaust-pipe 13.

In the operation of the mechanism, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2, steam is passing from the pipe 14 through the steampassage of the cylinder and the corresponding passage of the revoluble piston member 31 and issuing from the steam-port 49 to the semicircular steam-space 42, the steam passing through the opened port 44 to the space between the angular side of the piston member 30 and the adjacent walls of the cylinder. At this time the revoluble piston member 31 is moved in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow, which shows the course taken by the steam, and the angular piston is moving in the direction of the opposite angular wall of the cylinder. At the same time steamis exhaustedintothesemicircularsteamspace 43 through the open port 44 at the left hand side of the angular piston member and passing through the abutment-port 50 and thence through the several steam-passages to the exhaust-pipe 13. During this movement steam has been confined Within the lowermost steam-chamber between the bottom of the angular piston and the bottom of the cylinder and byits expansion assists the steam entering the right-hand steam-chamber to force the angularpiston to the left, and this movement is also assisted by the rotative movement of the revolubie piston member 31. As soon as the abutment 41 passes the port 44 leading to the lowermost steam-chamber'the latter will begin to exhaust and steam will pass to the exhaust-port 50, while the angular piston will receive a downward movement from the pressure of steam in the right-hand steam-chamber and the steam admitted to the left-hand steam-chamber after the abutment 40 passes the steam-port leading to said steam-chamber. The movement of the parts is permitted by the sliding of the bars 35 and 'the swinging movement of the links 33, so

that the en glue-shaft will receive a continuous circular movement so long as steam is supplied.

The engine may be operated in either direction by merely changing the position of the cylindrical reversing-valve 17, the operation of the parts being precisely the same as that previously described.

In some cases I may employ a revoluble piston member With but one abutment, as shown in Fig. 8, the surface of the piston member opposite the abutment being in contact with the wall of the circular recess in the triangular piston.

Having thus described my'invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder in the form of an equilateral triangle, a shaftextending through the cylinder, and a piston comprising two members of which one is of a shape corresponding to that of the cylinder and the other in the form of a cylindrical body secured to and rotating with the shaft.

2. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder in the form of an equilateral triangle, an angular piston member disposed within the cylinder and provided with a centrallyarranged circular recess, a shaft, a cylindrical piston member fitted within the circular recess and eccentrically mounted on the shaft, and steam inlet and exhaust passages extending through the cylindrical and the angular piston members.

3. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder of angular form, a piston member also of angular form but of less area than the cylinder, said angular piston having a centrally- IIO passages leading through the cylindrical piston member and terminating in ports at one of the abutments.

4. The combination in an engine, of an angular cylinder having at each angular corner a guiding-recess, a sliding block adapted to each recess, an angular piston member disposed upon the cylinder, links connecting the piston member to the blocks and serving in sages extending through said piston member and terminating in oppositely-facing steamports at the opposite sides of one of said abutment-s, annular grooves formed in the sides of said piston member and with which the steam passages of both the cylinder and the piston member communicate, the piston member in the form of an equilateral triangle being provided with a central opening for the reception of the circular piston'member and its abutments, steam-ports leading through the piston member from the central opening to the outer walls of said angular piston, slidable blocks arranged at the corners of the cylinder, and links connecting said blocks to the angular piston member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ZENO STUART.

Witnesses:

G. L. EVANS, P. L. MOORMAN. 

